Inside a private room in a tavern in a nearby town that catered to Zefaris's tower-

  A group of four elite disciples sat down around a table, with the Chief Disciple being among them. They were all Official Wizards, and acc to their apprenticeship tract, they could leave the tower and spread their wings. However, they didn't dare to leave too far from the tower, knowing they would likely vanish like the rest. Or, more precisely, be used in their Master's crazy experiments.

  The Tower Spirit registered their existence, and the moment they left its influehe old codger would know and send his structs to apprehend them. This toithin its influence, so it was still safe to rex there, barely.

  They already tried asking for outside help, but it was useless. No one was crazy enough to fa 8th-level wizard, a national-level powerhouse. In aire kingdom of millions, there were a dozen Titled Wizards. Even a 9th-level archmage would hesitate to atta 8th-level titled wizard in his wizard tower, let alone fellow 8th-level wizards!

  Knowing they were left for dead, they could only hold on, build up their strength, and try to survive until the dementic old fart kicked the bucket before looting his stuff and fleeing.

  However, their Master's ret movements were unnerving. Or rather, his ovement.

  "It's been a hundred days since Appreharick disappeared. It is a fone clusion he has bee a b rat. Moreover, Apprentice Evile became a perma assistant to the Master, which is odd in itself sidering the ret high mortality rates." A middle-aged female wizard named Agaell said.

  "The master also purchased several criminal sves and women, but sihen, nothing." Orawix, a bald male wizard with a grey beard, added.

  "Our alchemical waste was also collected instead of being ied by Evile. This is odd." Ilore, a half-elven woman with a white braid, pursed her lips.

  "And the Master started selling some form of energy-rich liquid simir to Succubus Milk and Dryad Sap that increased Physique, Magic Power, and Life Force. My sources tell me he transacted about 40 liters for something, and they tried asking me if I know the source of it." The Chief Disciple, Rhalore, a sophisticated and bespectacled man, said while raising his gsses with his middle finger.

  "How the hell did our shut-in master master get his hands on something that valuable?! And it sounds like he make it in signifit quantities!" Orawix excimed.

  "More importantly, what he bought with that money." Agaell frowned.

  "And the most important question is, what is he pnning to do?" Ilore also grimaced.

  "I don't know, but it is likely reted to his attempts to achieve immortality," Rhalore said.

  "Yeah, our dear Master 't achieve li or infinitely e himself like the legendary archmages, especially since he is poor in neancy, so he is looking for other venues. Since he is a Transmutatiy, he is likely trying to transform himself into a long-living or immortal creature. I think he acquired some Abberenthin samples so he might be researg in that dire." Orawix guessed.

  "It would also expin the disappearances." Ilreed.

  "But that's crazy! You would be lucky to not turn into a bunch of writhiacles if not ht explode. Even if he succeeds, his mind and soul would be permaly ed, especially for someone as powerful as himself. He would bee a monstrosity. There is a reason why it is taboo research." Agaell said.

  "Taboo? When you reach the end of your life, nothing is taboo in the eyes of a selfish egomaniastead of being a good Master and dying with honor and respect, he prefers being shunned by the world and being a mo the expense of everyone around him. But ohing remaiain, and that is his uionable power. I don't want to be the victim of his Sch." Rhalore scowled.

  The other three shook, remembering that traumatizing se. The previous Chief Apprentice was kind-natured and truly respected their Master, yet the deep distrust their Master had iurn reared its ugly head in a dementic outburst. With a single word, all the bones of their senior became brittle, followed by an immediate multiplication of gravity on him, creating a siing Sch as he turned into a meat patty. That was the day that formed the chasm between the disciples and their master. And sihat day, their master became more and more senile and evil, as if a monster awakened inside him. The number of disciples i decade dwindled by a third despite the influx of new disciples.

  The four remained silent for a long time before sighing.

  "Let's go back. I feel like I o prepare a few more trump cards, just in case. Who knows what that evil Master would do once he hits the limit." Orawix said.

  The other three nodded in agreement. After paying their bills, they headed back to the tower in the evening. Going ihey didn't see any fellorentices around, which was a bit odd. Even at this hour, appreill walked about ihe tower. At least, not everyone was asleep.

  "Something is wrong..." Rhalore muttered as he pulled out his wand.

  "But the gargoyles didn't activate." Ilore frowned as she pulled out a quill.

  "I don't like this..." Orawix frowned as he held his neckce.

  "I think we should go back to town..." Agaell shook as she took out a pouch with marbles.

  Creak* Cck*

  The door behind them suddenly shut itself, like the closed maw of a flytrap.

  "SHIT!" The four immediately went on full alert as a voice transmitted via the Tower Spirit.

  [Quite perceptive. I didn't raise trash.]

  Hum*

  Suddenly, the four official wizards felt their magic was sealed and they couldn't cast spells!

  "Magic restraining field!" Ilore uttered in horror.

  But what followed made them despair. s shot from the floor, tying them up. At the same time, a dozen gargoyles surrouhem, pointing their dangerous spears at them.

  "What is the meaning of this?! Why are you doing this, Master?!" Rhalore angrily screamed.

  To this, a calm, apathetic voice sounded.

  [Culling my livestock. Bring them to me.]

  "Yes, Master." A voice sounded, as someoered the hallway,

  "Y-You! Why are you helping him!? He will kill you as well!" Orawix excimed in shod anger.

  "Maybe, but you will first," The figure said and g the gargoyles. "Bring them and follow."

  .

  .

  .

  Day 101:

  Tharick slowly woke up, finding that he wasn't in his usual room. Instead, he was in a rge cell and his mate wasn't there.

  "Groar?" "Where am I?"

  Looking around, he saw that he wasn't alone. Outside the cell, in other cells, were frightened-looking disciples looking around, and at him, in fear. He even spotted some of the Official Wizards of the tower, including the Chief Disciple. However, they were all shackled and wore colrs. Once he saw it, Tharick touched himself and found that he also had a colr, and he felt that his magic was retrained.

  "Magic-restraining equipment?!" Tharick shook, knowing things were bad. Very bad.

  Looking at his fellorentices, he wao ask about the situation, but he couldn't speak.

  "Ah, just great. I 't speak, so I 't ask anything." Tharick felt annoyed.

  However, judging from the situation, it wasn't anything good. He could already guess what was happening.

  "I was likely taken here while I was asleep. Was my foed? Did the old codger finally lose his patience? Did he decide to wave his butcher's knife? If that is the case, we are all fucked." Tharick grimly thought.

  Tap* Tap* Tap* Tap*

  Moments ter, a figure walked into the hall. When Tharick saw it, he was shocked.

  "Groar?!" "Evile?!"

  Yes, it was Evile. She walked about, free as a bird. Or perhaps she was also a caged bird, but her cage was merely rger. She was also apanied by two humanoid golems.

  "Groar! Rroar?!" "Evile! What is going on?!"

  Evile looked at Tharick with plicated eyes, sighed, and didn't reply. Instead, she walked to the opposite cages.

  "That one." Evile poi a young apprentice who was barely 14.

  "N-No! I don't want to die! Help!" The young disciple futilely tried to crawl away, but it merely deyed the iable.

  The two golems, emotionless and programmed to follow orders, immediately picked up the struggling boy, dragging him out of the cell.

  "Help! Help!!!" The boy's screams echoed further and further away.

  Everyone in the room turned gloomy and silent, shaking like Deathrow prisoners.

  Tharick sighed. Over the past hundred days, his best friend has drastically ged. She became the loyal hen of their master, Zefaris, willing to backstab everyone else iower to ensure her survival.

  "Although I 't bme her." Tharick thought.

  Evile was, at most, a Journeyman of magic, able to defend herself, but nothing pared to a bonafide Official Magi, let aloitled Wizard! It was likely she even realized her fate, yet chose to cooperate for that slight glimmer of hope Zefaris would spare her.

  "Hey! Are you... Tharick?"

  Tharick heard one of the disciples opposite to him speak. Looking ahead, he saw it was her than the Chief Disciple, Rhalore. Even in this situation, he kept a somewhat elegant look, maintaining some posure in the choking despair.

  "Roar." "Yes."

  Tharick tried veying it by waving his tentacle in a friendly way since he was uo nod.

  "Wait, that's Tharick?!"

  "The low-magic Tharick?!"

  "The transmutation savant invalid?!"

  Many disciples knew about Tharick. He was bright and good in Transmutation, but his low Magic Power made him an invalid. Previously, they often ughed at him or mented his misfortune. But now, they saw the mohat he had bee. An abomination, a freak.

  "What did that senile old fool do to you?!" Orawix was horrified.

  "W-Wait, is it possible that-" Ilore suddenly thought of a possibility and turned pale.

  "No way... He isn't that crazy, right?! Right?!!!" Agaell shook.

  "Our master wants to bee an Abberant creature. He succeeded with Tharick, so he is trying to replicate it with us as b rats before attempting it on himself." Rhalore bitterly smiled, losing all hope of survival.

  Even if their master succeeded before using them, he would likely still kill them to keep their mouths shut. If people knew Zefaris became an Abberant creature, they would mercilessly hunt him down even if he was intelligent. It wasn't just because it was a taboo subject, but because others would like to replicate what he did to himself. Immortality is a sweet, forbidden fruit many want, regardless of the price. Why else would mao abandon their humanity, the body given to them by nature, and bee another creature?

  "Roar." "Yep."

  Tharick agreed, fully knowing what his shitty master nning to do. He felt pity for them, knowing they would be the first to die, and he would be st.

  Sure enough, about an hour ter, Evile returned with an apathetic look, a golem bringing a tainer.

  "Tharick, your meal," Evile said, opening his cage as the golem entered before pg the tainer on the floor.

  Tharick looked at it and saw it was filled with purple sludge. There were bits and pieces of bones, ans, tentacles, eyes, teeth, or whatnot inside.

  Without being told, Thariew it was the disciple from earlier. Ahe smell was tempting enough. His body craved it.

  "Also, Master wants your tentacles after you are done," Evile added.

  "... Groar." "... I uand."

  With a heavy heart, Tharick picked up the tainer and started eating it. He didn't want to, yet he khere was nothing he could do about it. He could only choose to cooperate. If he didn't, Zefaris had a dozen ways to force him to eat before t him.

  "I am no longer human... I am no longer human... This isn't ibalism..." Tharick tried to hypnotize himself to stomach what he was doing.

  After having his fill, he saw Evile standing there, waiting. Mentally sighing, Tharick began to dismember himself with his teeth, dropping the tentacles on the floor.

  "Take the samples," Evile said to the golems.

  The golems obeyed, taking the tentacles. Evile looked at Tharick, wanting to say something, but held it inside and sighed.

  As he saw her reg silhouette, Thariew this merely marked the beginning of madness.